Bottlehead Eros Phono Preamp

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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    Finally arrived!oc7nxac414ds.jpeg
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,504
    edited December 2015
    Kewl! Love their stylus guard. Much easier to install than the scary one included with the Dynavector 17D3 Karat! It was narrow, clipped onto rear with ears that straddled the cartridge body at cantilever. Always one slip from violating the stylus/cantilever when installing.
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    Yeah, I was on pins and needles while mounting it (even with the great guard). Had to adjust about everything on the arm to get proper VTA. HiFi News test record and protractor were invaluable. Damn arm gives no overhang info, so matched the stylus/mounting holes up with the Dynavector and measured. Spinning vinyl right now! Just using the PS Audio GCPH it sounds great. Moving to your SUT for side B.
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  • vcwatkins
    vcwatkins Posts: 1,993
    edited December 2015
    SCompRacer wrote: »
    Kewl Craig! Thanks for the kind words! Carl loves his Budgie too! BlueMD is taking a chance on the AT33PTG/II as well. He should have it sometime this week IIRC. I sent him my diy SUT so he can try the LOMC cart with his phono set to MM.

    Regarding the .33uf couplers. What is your pre amp input impedance? Did you run it by Jeff?

    You're gonna love the Eros! Even with the stock tubes it sounded darn good.
    Did not run by Jeff. Just ordered willy-nilly, hehe. Figured I'd add them to my crossover parts order, try them, and use what I liked best. Mistakenly thought your ARC input was similar/same to my Belles 20a's 50k ohms. Not sure what the heck I was thinking there.. Oh well, I'll deal with that after build is done.

    Edit: That's one heckuva graph on the Eros!
    SCompRacer wrote: »
    Is the 103r in oem form or does it have a wood or aluminum body? I have a 103r I stuck a Midas aluminum body on mounted on a second arm. As good as it sounds, I love the AT33PTG/II more.
    The one coming from Japan is stock and the one on my Music Hall TT is stock. Guess I could try one of those DIY body mods.
    SCompRacer wrote: »
    My next project, build a PTP5 top plate Lenco idler drive turntable to match the Eros walnut enclosure.
    No doubt that would be drool-inducing.
    b]Beach Audio[/b]: Rega RP6 (mods) - AT33PTG/II - Parks Budgie SUT - PSAudio NPC * Eversolo DMP-A6 * Topping D90iii * Joule-Electra LA-100 mkIII * Pass Aleph 30 * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 2.3tl (mods) * PSAudio PPP3
    Beach Study: Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra & Pre Box S2 * Pass ACA * DH Labs SS Q10 * Brines Folded ML-TQWT RS 40-1354 * PSA Dectet
    Beach Master: WiiM Pro * Dayens Menuetto * Zu Libtec * Dynaudio Audience 50
    Beach Den: Bluesound Powernode 2i * DH Labs SS Q10 * Zu Omen DWII * Richard Gray RGPC
    Town Study: WiiM Pro * Chord Qute (Pardo) * Elekit TU-8600 * MIT S3 * Revel M22 * Beyer DT-990 * Shunyata Hydra 2
    Town Den: Music Hall mm5.1se - Denon DL-103r - Jolida JD9ii (mods) * WiiM Pro * Cary xCiter * Rogue 99 Magnum * Schiit Aegir * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 1.2tl (mods) * Dectet * Bottlehead Crack - Senn 600
    Town Porch: WiiM Pro Plus * Sunfire Sig II * Canare 4S11 * Magnepan 1.6 * Dectet
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,504
    edited December 2015
    vcwatkins wrote: »
    Did not run by Jeff. Just ordered willy-nilly, hehe. Figured I'd add them to my crossover parts order, try them, and use what I liked best. Mistakenly thought your ARC input was similar/same to my Belles 20a's 50k ohms. Not sure what the heck I was thinking there.. Oh well, I'll deal with that after build is done.

    Yeah, my ARC has 120K ohms input impedance on the balanced side, 60k ohms on the SE.

    Using V caps calculator, a .33uf coupler with 50k ohms impedance will result in a 9.65Hz -3dB frequency, not good. -3dB is usually figured at 2Hz. For 2Hz at 50k ohms impedance you want ~ 1.6uf. THATS where the higher end caps bite you, the higher the uf the higher the cost and they are larger in size, harder to fit in some applications. Sonicap Platinum .33uf costs ~ $60 each. Nearest value to 1.6uf is 2.0uf, $223 each! Ouch! He also gave me less some less costly suggestions.

    http://www.v-cap.com/coupling-capacitor-calculator.php

    Jeff will most likely take them back unused. Check with him for a coupler value as he had asked me the value of resistor to ground after the coupler cap. You can see that in the supplied schematics. IIRC the value of that resistor and coupler cap used has an effect of rolling off of the lows.

    The idea is to use the smallest value cap possible while respecting the corner frequency so the signal has less material to go through and be molested.

    This is why manufacturers will usually install a high uf value as a coupler, like 2uf or even higher, so it will work well with any impedance. IIRC the supplied Solen cap in the kit was 1.5uf which results in a good -3dB frequency for you.
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • vcwatkins
    vcwatkins Posts: 1,993
    Cool. Thanks, SComp! I'll go with stock and maybe explore options later.
    b]Beach Audio[/b]: Rega RP6 (mods) - AT33PTG/II - Parks Budgie SUT - PSAudio NPC * Eversolo DMP-A6 * Topping D90iii * Joule-Electra LA-100 mkIII * Pass Aleph 30 * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 2.3tl (mods) * PSAudio PPP3
    Beach Study: Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra & Pre Box S2 * Pass ACA * DH Labs SS Q10 * Brines Folded ML-TQWT RS 40-1354 * PSA Dectet
    Beach Master: WiiM Pro * Dayens Menuetto * Zu Libtec * Dynaudio Audience 50
    Beach Den: Bluesound Powernode 2i * DH Labs SS Q10 * Zu Omen DWII * Richard Gray RGPC
    Town Study: WiiM Pro * Chord Qute (Pardo) * Elekit TU-8600 * MIT S3 * Revel M22 * Beyer DT-990 * Shunyata Hydra 2
    Town Den: Music Hall mm5.1se - Denon DL-103r - Jolida JD9ii (mods) * WiiM Pro * Cary xCiter * Rogue 99 Magnum * Schiit Aegir * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 1.2tl (mods) * Dectet * Bottlehead Crack - Senn 600
    Town Porch: WiiM Pro Plus * Sunfire Sig II * Canare 4S11 * Magnepan 1.6 * Dectet
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